Sustainability Binder Checklist
There are many ways to ensure sustainability in a VISTA position. A very valuable tool is the Sustainability Binder. The following are key components of the binder. They may vary based on the nuances of your site. This is meant to be a starting point to ensure a smooth transition.
Welcome Letter
Craft an exciting letter for the front of the binder to welcome the VISTA to a rewarding year of service. Validate some of the feelings they may have as they begin, but assure them they were selected because they have what it takes. Briefly outline the contents of the binder and its purpose.
Materials to Review
Include documents in the binder that will orient them with necessary basic information OR direct them to a location on a shared drive to review these materials.
Key Contacts
Provide a table of key contacts. Include Name, Organization or Dept., Number, Email, Best way to contact. You may wish to break the contacts down into sections based on their affiliations to projects and/or programs.
Procedures
If inter-office procedures do not exist in hard copy or in a shared drive, create procedures for specific tasks (i.e. renting/reserving a university vehicle, long-distance phone calls, etc). If these do exist, direct the VISTA to their location. You may wish to include program/project-specific procedures.
Timeline
Give a visual for what their year might look like. Provide guidance on times to begin thinking about certain aspects of a project. Also, a heads up on busy times of the year when other tasks might take some of their time always helps in developing their calendar.
Daily Tasks
Provide insight on daily or weekly tasks that are necessary to sustain the program(s) and/or partnerships. Also, tips on what may need to improve or additions for the next term.
Project Descriptions and History
Include numbers/reports, successes/challenges, best practices, key stakeholders, partners, timeline, and examples of PR/Outreachfor each project, program, and event. Having results, procedures, and numbers from programs which will continue is the only way the incoming VISTA will be able to effectively increase capacity and be prevented from repeating mistakes In some cases, there may be an entire binder or large computer file for just one project. Along with this, there should be a summary document or instructions to navigate the files.
~ Reserving a specific amount of space on your calendar each week for sustainability and sticking to it will help to gradually create a binder, preventing an overwhelming last-minute rush! ~
11/2009